It is know that computer networks are extremely vulnerable to configuration mistakes, mis-wiring and malicious attacks that can interrupt organization and service provider operations. Therefore, it is generally crucial for any enterprises to apply various security mechanisms to protect their data, applications and networks functions.
The I.E.E.E. (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.1 AE (MACsec) standard specifies a set of protocols to meet the security requirements for protecting data traversing local area networks (LANs). MACsec allows unauthorized LAN connections to be identified and excluded from communication within the network. In common with Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), MACsec defines a security infrastructure to provide data confidentiality, data integrity and data origin authentication. By assuring that a frame or packet comes from the network device that claimed to send it, MACsec can mitigate attacks on the networking Layer 2 protocols. A MACsec enabled network often includes a network that is substantially in compliance with the MACsec standard, their derivatives, or predecessors (hereafter, “the MACsec standard” or “802.1 AE standard”). IEEE Computer Society, IEEE Standard for Local and metropolitan area networks, Media Access Control (MAC) Security), IEEE Std. 802.1 AE™-2006 (18 Aug. 2006).
A virtual LAN (VLAN) is often a group of hosts or network devices that communicate as if they were attached to the same broadcast domain, regardless of their physical location. A VLAN frequently has the same high-level attributes as a physical LAN, but it allows for end stations or network devices to be grouped together even if they are not located on the same network switch. Furthermore, often network reconfiguration can be done through software instead of physically relocating devices. VLANs are frequently useful if one wants to create multiple Layer 3 networks on the same Layer 2 switch. A VLAN enabled network often includes a network that is substantially in compliance with the VLAN standard, their derivatives, or predecessors (hereafter, “the VLAN standard” or “802.1Q standard”). IEEE Computer Society, IEEE Standard for Local and metropolitan area networks, Virtual Bridged Local Area Networks, IEEE Std. 802.1Q™-2005 (19 May 2006).